A collection of some of King Charles III’s earliest banknotes has sold at auction for more than £900,000.
Over the course of four separate auctions at Spink & Son, lots containing some of the earliest King Charles £5, £10, £20 and £50 notes were auctioned, raising £914,127 in total.
The notes had a face value of around £78,000, meaning they raised more than 11 times their monetary value.
They were among the first banknotes bearing the king’s face released with low serial numbers and entered circulation in June.
It is these serial numbers that collectors look for, trying to get as close to 00001 as possible.
Proceeds from the auctions were split between ten separate charities, each receiving £91,400.
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When a £50 sheet sold for £26,000, it broke the record for the highest lot sold at a Bank of England auction.
A single £10 note sold for £17,000 with serial number HBO1 00002.
Although the Bank of England began producing notes in the 17th century, the king’s mother, the late Queen Elizabeth II, was the first British sovereign to receive the honor in 1960 on a £1 paper note.
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The ten benefiting charities are:
- Childhood trust
- The Trussell trust
- Scream
- Carers in the UK
- Demelza
- WWF UK
- The Brain Tumor Charity
- London Air Ambulance Charity
- Child Bereavement in the UK
- Samaritans
Sarah John, Chief Teller and Executive Director of Banking at the Bank of England, said: “I am thrilled that the auctions and public voting of the low-numbered King Charles III notes raised a remarkable £914,127 which will be donated to ten charities chosen by Bank of England Staff.”
She added: “Each charity does incredible work and the money raised will have a positive impact on people across the UK.”
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